Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc

Episode 8

There's a reason why everything about Sieglinde's life was presented as a fairy story or a picture book: it was all manufactured. More than that, it was created as a fairy story in order to manipulate her, to keep her trapped and enthusiastic about it. It's not science, it's magic; it's not a weapon, it's a barrier; you're doing this to help people, not hurt them. Everything about Sieglinde's life was a lie, fabricated by her mother out of grief and zeal. Frau Sullivan was so twisted that she never saw her daughter as her daughter. She existed strictly as the reincarnation of her father, destined to carry on his work, whether she wanted to or not.

In all fairness, it wasn't hard to guess that whatever was coming this week would be awful. The episode isn't called “His Butler, Joyous” or “His Butler, Elated.” It's “His Butler, Furious,” and anything that can make an actual demon furious probably isn't going to be good. Even without Sebastian's confirmation that he's having a lot of fun playing Ciel's butler game, it's been plain to see that he's having a good time in this role – and when he gets mad, it's because he genuinely feels anger. Maybe most demons wouldn't be upset if their contractors were injured or if a little girl was being abused. Still, after enough time spent in the Phantomhive household – and getting to know the various misfits and scapegraces who populate it – Sebastian has become a little more…understanding. He's still a demon, make no mistake – and he takes glee in dispatching the Elder (AKA Frau Sullivan) and her minions. But at least part of that delight is because he's hurting those who hurt someone else. They deserve it, and that makes the work that much sweeter.

Sieglinde is also cemented as one of Ciel's crew, albeit not in the sense that would work with him or his household. But like many others surrounding him, she's been through a horrible situation. Like Finny and possibly Ciel himself, she was imprisoned for experimentation and sacrifice when she was too young to do anything about it. The link with Finny is at this point the strongest; there's a reason we learned about his past in this arc. In some ways, it's almost worse for her because Finny never had the illusion of control over his own life. Sieglinde did, with everyone around her lying to maintain that fiction. The psychological damage is intense, as we see when her first instinct is to take Ciel up on his offer to kill her. How can she be expected to live with what she's done?

Ciel provides an answer when he tells her that her skills can just as easily be used for something that will help others. Maomao would be quick to point out that medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin – and that's essentially what Ciel tells Sieglinde. It won't be easy, but it's something she needs to understand – because otherwise, all she'll be able to do is wallow in the horror of what was done to her and what she unwittingly did. That's no way to live, and I think Ciel wants her to find a way to be happy. He's a good kid at heart, and Sieglinde desperately needs that.

She's not out of the woods yet, of course. Her mother may be dead, but half the German army was living in the village, and they've put off their kirtles in favor of uniforms now. The only person who seems to care about Sieglinde is Wolfram, and his fight is going to be whether he can allow his heart and sense of moral rightness (something Frau Sullivan deemed injurious to scientific progress) to overcome his military training. He's wavered a few times so far. I hope he continues to do so.

At least there's one bright side to all of this horror, and the way the series is merrily playing with history – speeding up the timeline to bring WWI on faster also means that clinical psychology will be developed faster. Sieglinde (and Wolfram, if he survives) will need it.

Rating:

Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc is currently streaming on Crunchyroll on Saturdays.